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Russia Unleashes Test ICBM Barrage

This was the first time a four-missile salvo of the new Bulava ICBM was launched from a submarine.

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The video shows the Borei-class ballistic missile submarine Yuriy Dolgorukiy diving to launch depth and its crew preparing for the launch. Then, it switches to an external view from an observer ship, and shows four Bulava ICBMs being launched in a rapid-fire salvo.

According to the state-run TASS news agency, this was the first-ever full-salvo test of the Bulava ICBM from the Borei class. The missiles were launched from the White Sea and hit their designated targets at the Kura test range in the far eastern part of the Kamchatka region.

The Russian Navy currently has three operational Borei-class submarines, while a fourth is now undergoing sea trials. The Yuriy Dolgorukiy—named for the 12th century prince who founded Moscow and whose name translates literally to “Yuri the Long-Armed”—is the lead ship of the class.

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The Bulava ICBM, also known as the R-30, was developed specifically for this class of submarine. Each one can deliver up to 10 nuclear warheads of yields up to 150 kilotons with a range of 10,000 kilometers.